A/HRC/28/15 63. Children’s rights were enshrined in the constitution and various acts, and were protected within the education system and a special department had also been established under the Human Rights Ombudsman. In criminal proceedings, the law provided for free and impartial legal assistance for children who were witnesses or victims of crime and perpetrators of crime over the age of 16 were prosecuted under a juvenile justice system, in line with international standards. 64. Regrettably, some children had experienced poverty as a result of the recent economic crisis. Social transfers, school grants, free school lunches, subsidies, free access to health care for children and adolescents were ways in which Slovenia had sought to mitigate the impact of the crisis on children. The 2015 budget would take into account the need for ongoing provision of social assistance. 65. Regarding the rights of the elderly, the delegation explained that a special office would be established under the new coalition agreement and that it was recognized that elderly persons were a vulnerable group. Despite the financial crisis, pensions had not decreased and there was a highly developed network of public and private care homes. 66. Responding to queries on trafficking in persons, Slovenia confirmed that it implemented a human rights-based approach and that all relevant conventions had been ratified. Awareness and training programmes had been introduced, in cooperation with the National Coordinator for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons, the Prosecutor’s Office and non-governmental organizations, as well as safe houses. However, the National Coordinator’s Office required strengthening and more funding. 67. Slovenia acknowledged a past violation of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, it asserted that it had made dramatic changes, notably in establishing an independent department in the Prosecutor’s Office to examine alleged human rights violations by the security forces. Police legislation and complaints procedures had been updated and international monitoring bodies now considered the police to be responsive regarding the protection of human rights. 68. A new draft law regarding same-sex civil partnerships was under public discussion. Previous efforts in that regard had failed, but under the coalition Government agreement the issue had been reviewed and the new law would hopefully be adopted in 2015. 69. The delegation stated that it would strive to make progress in ratifying outstanding conventions. 70. The United States of America urged acceleration of the efforts to compensate “erased” persons. It expressed concern regarding ongoing discrimination and harassment of the Roma, limited access to justice and unclear sanctions for employers interfering with trade unions. 71. Uruguay noted the strategy for the inclusion of Roma for the period 2015–2020 and encouraged Slovenia to redouble its efforts regarding persons pertaining to minorities, considering their particular vulnerability and difficulty in accessing basic rights. 72. Uzbekistan commended the strengthened regulatory and institutional human rights mechanisms and improvements to the health and education systems. It referred to concerns expressed regarding the marginalization of Roma, prison overcrowding, gender-based violence and the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. 73. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela welcomed Slovenia’s efforts to combat domestic violence and protect migrants. It expressed concerns regarding the corporal punishment of children, trafficking in persons, ill-treatment during detention, the persistent case backlog and discrimination against Roma and “erased” persons. 9